On Tuesday, October 15th, Democratic vice presidential candidate and Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz unveiled a new plan for rural voters by Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania’s western region.
Harris’s rural healthcare plan includes recruiting 10,000 new healthcare workers in rural and tribal areas using scholarships, new subsidy programs, and loan forgiveness, as well as formulating policies that prioritize economic and agricultural interests.
The plan calls for a permanent expansion of telehealth benefits under healthcare coverage, which has benefited millions of patients since the COVID-19 pandemic but is set to expire by the end of this year.
Additionally, the plan advocates for funding support for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programs for volunteers to reduce the number of individuals with ambulance rides exceeding 25 minutes by 50%, and to reinstate the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that expired in June. The ACP, initiated by the Biden administration, provides up to a $30 internet bill discount for American households with incomes “below 200% of the federal poverty line” or those receiving certain federal assistance programs.
Furthermore, Harris’s campaign team stated they would strive to ensure farmers have the right to repair their own equipment and would request Congress to mandate manufacturers to allow them to do so.
Three weeks away from Election Day, former President Trump’s lead in national and key state polls is expanding.
The battle for rural votes is intensifying, with this voting demographic being a key factor in Trump’s victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
According to the Associated Press voting predictions, on this day four years ago, Trump won the support of these voters by nearly a 2:1 vote ratio.
Trump’s campaign team is also working hard to garner support from rural voters this year, holding multiple rallies and events in rural communities in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Walz is leveraging his rural background to campaign for the Democratic Party in rural areas. Apart from the event held in rural Pennsylvania, Walz produced a radio ad emphasizing his upbringing in a 400-person small town and his experience as a football coach, while criticizing Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance of Ohio.
The ad is scheduled to air on over 500 broadcast stations in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, and Georgia.
In the ad, Walz said, “In a small town, people don’t pay attention to politics, they care about neighbors and their own affairs. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have different ideas from us; they only think of themselves.”
In response to Democratic propaganda, Trump’s campaign team launched the “American Rural Support Trump” alliance to promote the Trump administration’s achievements in the heartland of the United States, including efforts to sign trade deals to boost exports of domestic agricultural products.
Charles W. Herbster, the national chairman of the American Rural Support Trump alliance, told the Associated Press, “President Trump understands the crucial role played by American rural and agricultural communities in providing food to citizens and the world. President Trump recognizes the importance of American rural residents in driving the US economy. I am thrilled to continue collaborating with agricultural and rural leaders nationwide.”
Trump also pledged to increase American energy production to lower cooling and heating costs for Americans, especially in rural areas where fuel costs may be higher.